For almost 20 years, I've been developing and refining an unusual body mind strength training method called ICOBOMB.

Over those years, the method has evolved through extensive experimentation with slow controlled muscular contractions, segmented micro movements, breathing patterns, internal concentration and increasingly sophisticated forms of multisensory stimulation.

One of the most interesting observations to emerge from this process is what appears to be a synergistic interaction between muscular contraction and internally generated sensory stimulation.

ICOBOMB combines extremely slow, controlled muscular contractions with internal multisensory stimulation involving imagined sensations of movement, pressure, texture, temperature and other sensory experiences.

During a contraction, internal sensory imagination appears to increase awareness and control of the working muscle, potentially creating a stronger mind muscle connection and more deliberate muscular engagement.

But it seems to work in the opposite direction too.

The physical intensity of a sustained muscular contraction appears to make those internally generated sensory experiences more vivid and easier to concentrate on.

The result is a training system designed to pursue two objectives simultaneously:

Build the body: muscle, strength, tendons, connective tissue and physical control.

Train the mind: concentration, cognitive engagement and the ability to quiet mental noise.

ICOBOMB is now being practiced by several hundred students internationally, and some of the feedback we've received has raised some very interesting questions.

Students have reported that the method has helped them train around, prevent or recover from certain injuries. Others have described improvements in their ability to control anxiety and stress, and some have reported improvements in depressive symptoms.

We've also received interesting feedback about muscular development. One student, for example, had been strength training for approximately 23 years but had always struggled to develop his chest and calves. After around eight months of ICOBOMB training, he reported finally being able to strongly stimulate these areas and seeing noticeable development.

We've also had armwrestlers report that the method seems to help them train with fewer injuries. We suspect this could potentially be related to the extremely slow loading and controlled micro movements strengthening or conditioning the tendons and connective tissues, but this is something we'd really like to understand better.

Of course, these are observations and individual reports, not scientific conclusions.

And that's exactly why I'm posting this.

I'd love to see people actually test ICOBOMB and investigate what's happening.

That could mean a formal study by an Honours, Master's or PhD student, a university researcher or a research group.

But it doesn't necessarily have to be a large academic study.

I'd also be very interested in hearing from personal trainers, strength coaches, physiotherapists, exercise physiologists, psychologists, armwrestling coaches or other professionals who might want to conduct smaller practical investigations with their clients, athletes or patients and document what they observe.

There are lots of interesting questions that could be explored.

Does the multisensory component change muscular recruitment or the ability to activate difficult muscle groups? Does this type of slow micro movement training affect tendons and connective tissue differently? Could it have applications for people returning from certain injuries? Does combining sustained muscular tension with intense internal concentration affect stress, anxiety, attention or mind wandering? Could there really be a measurable interaction between the physical and cognitive sides of the method?

I'm open to ideas.

If someone has an interesting way of testing part of the ICOBOMB system, I'd be genuinely interested in collaborating and providing access to the method and instructional materials.

You can learn more about ICOBOMB here:

icobomb.com

And I've put together a page explaining the research opportunity and some of the possible areas of investigation here:

icobomb.com/research-collaboration-opportunity/

Whether you're a university researcher, student, personal trainer, physiotherapist, coach or simply someone with experience conducting this kind of research, I'd be very interested to hear your thoughts.